My Blossom, I am
by EPIC-CherryBlossom101
Summary: "I'm. . ." Sakura looked up. "Go on." She grounded out with her voice hoarse. "In love. . ." Sakura tensed. ". . . with a woman. Who's strong, beautiful and could be pretty sassy when she wants to." Sakura blinked back tears and Kakashi didn't miss it. (I've deleted My Blossom I'm Sorry and decided to continue this one. I'll update soon!)


Disclaimer- I, Epic Cherry Blossom 101, do **not **own Naruto. *sigh* I can only dream.

KakaSaku- Yeah!

_Kakashi's thoughts._

. . . . . . . .

Leave. Me. Alone.

That's exactly what he wanted to shout at the kinochi sprinting after him. Instead, he came to a complete stop. Why was he running? She would pry it out of him eventually.

"Sensei!"

He turned to face her and saw how her eyes were filled with concern.

She took a second to catch her breath, then the pestering began . . . again. "I really want to know why you're acting so different."

He gave one of his eye crease smiles then chuckled. "Sakura I assure you I'm fine." Kakashi inwardly frowned. He wasn't fine. He was far from it, but of course the famous Copy ninja had to maintain his cool and stoic attitude. Even when he was falling apart on the inside.

"What a load of crap!"

_Man she just won't give up._

"Hn."

"Look, a family isn't always perfect," She began. "Sometimes they fight and try to keep their distance. No matter how far they go, they'll still be a part of an unbreakable bond." Sakura gave a bitter chortle.

"That's what I thought at first. That a bond could never be broken. That even though we were a family by heart and not blood, that we still had that same relationship. Well I was wrong. There are sick people in this world who just crave power!" She was now yelling. "They just throw everything away to accomplish something that can't be accomplished without changing who they are! Then they just waltz back into your life like everything is fine, like you've went through no pain and suffering!" Angry tears poured from her emerald orbs.

"What does Sasuke have to do with me?" _I knew why she had brought this up, but decided to play dumb._

She wiped away some tears. Sakura remained silent for a bit before bursting into more exclamations. "I hate him now, Sensei! But I try to except the fact that he's here for Naruto's sake."

_I never thought I would hear Sakura say that._

"You're already hush about your feelings enough. Don't forget about us, we've spent all this time together as a team. You've been avoiding us, especially me, for three whole years. . ."

_I hate myself right now. She seems really hurt by that._

" . . . and there is no way in hell I'm letting another one of my team mates go astray from our team for whatever reason. You leaving me, uh, I mean us, would be even more heartbreaking than Sasuke's absence because you were the one to teach us some of the greatest life lessons. Like to never leave a comrade behind even if there was a risk of jeopardizing the mission.

"I wouldn't think of leaving, my house is quite nice."

A vein popped out of Sakura's forehead.

"You're obviously not getting what I'm trying to say, so let me put in simpler terms." She replied with fierce eyes.

_I did get what she was saying. A hundred percent. She fears that I will become __**distant**__ like Sasuke and abandon them. I mean I don't blame her. I haven't spoken to Naruto in a while, or to Sasuke since his return. I just reunited with Sakura a day ago. Should I tell her?_

A greenish hue surrounded her small foot.

_Dammit, this is the last time I play dumb._

In a swift movement Sakura gave Kakashi a good kick in the shin, shattering the bone underneath his flesh. He let out a cry of pain then fell to his knees. She then kneeled down to meet his lone eye.

"Sorry I had to do that, but seriously you can tell me anything. Don't keep in your feelings. I know I might not be making any sense, but I just don't want you to feel as if you can't talk to me," she explained while healing Kakashi's shin. "So please, what's upsetting you?"

He sighed.

_I guess I have no choice. _

"Uh, well," he began while wincing in pain. Sakura listened with her whole heart ready to comfort the clearly wounded shinobi. Wounded both inside . . . . and out thanks to her. Once the pinkette heard his first reason for his distress her whole world came crashing down.

"Um, can you repeat that first one?" She hesitantly whispered. Kakashi looked up at the young girl and could already see the hurt welling in her eyes. He obeyed.

"I'm in love." Sakura bit her lip. She wouldn't let herself blurt out anything that would upset him so she just kept silent and continued to heal him.

"I'm. . ."

Sakura looked up. "Go on." She grounded out with her voice hoarse.

"In love. . ." Sakura tensed.

". . . with a woman. Who's strong, beautiful and could be pretty sassy when she wants to."

Sakura blinked back tears and Kakashi didn't miss it.

_Is she upset?_

"Her name was Rin." Kakashi quickly lied. He knew he never felt the same way that Rin felt about him. "It wasn't meant to be."

Sakura's eyes remained fixated on the ground.

"I realized it would be wrong to be together and I'm partially responsible for why she is hurting so much. It would be stupid to tell her how I fell." She had never seen her sensei in such a vulnerable state. She gave a jealous frown disguised as a gentle smile.

"It's not. I mean, despite the pain you might have caused her, telling her you love her really shows you care. I would go for you because I know in the end you would be there for me."

Sakura observed the expression Kakashi wore on his masked face. His brows knitted and his lone eye held a look of amusement. It took a minute for Sakura to realize what she just said. A pretty pink blush adorned her pale cheeks.

"Uh . . . you know, if we ever were to- together, but we're not. Hehe . . . I mean y- you would never want to be with a girl like me." She stuttered.

_Wow, I'm surprised she didn't catch on._

Sakura saw the smile in his eyes.

_I guess I could tease her a bit more._

"Why you say that?" Kakashi questioned.

"Well . . . ."

She moved her hands from Kakashi's shin.

"Never mind." She quickly blurted.

He placed a hand on her flushed cheek.

_Oh Kami, why did I just do that? I might as well brace myself for the deadly blow that's bound to come._

Kakashi closed his eyes and tensed waiting for the blow. But it never came. To his surprise, Sakura buried her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around the Sharingan warrior.

Kakashi's eyes remained closed while he held his cherry blossom close. She violently sobbed in his arms.

"All I wanted was for him to like me!" She balled.

_Great, him again . . . _

"I'm such a fool! Even now that my love for him is gone, I still desire someone."

Kakashi squeezed the trembling girl in his arms, trying to comfort her.

"Someone simply amazing, and I've found him, but just like Sasuke he would never love me in a million years."

"Still didn't answer my question." Kakashi added.

"I'm ugly."

Kakashi detangled his ex-student from his embrace and held her steady by her shoulders so he could make direct eye contact. Something he usually avoided.

Sakura looked completely startled.

_Is she serious?_

"You're ugly?" He repeated.

She gave a nod.

"Explain."

"Explain what?"

"Explain why you think you're ugly."

"Well," she began, "my hair is pink and stringy which is disgusting." He sighed. "I'm really pale." He rolled his eye. "I have no curves." _She completely lied through her teeth._ _Anyone with eyes could see the well-defined soft curves she has, well developed. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about that! _

"My eyes are a boogerish green." _Lie. _"Plus I'm really short." _Well, kind of true. "_Last, but not least my big forehead."

Sakura looked up to see Kakashi gazing at her.

"You're really insecure." He stated.

"Obviously." She muttered ashamed of her poor self-esteem.

"You're hair. . ." he started.

"Hm?"

"Your hair, is so exotic and unique. It definitely sets you aside from all the other ordinary girls. Your skin is so pretty and blemish free unlike most shinobi's. Don't take this the wrong way,"Kakashi cleared his throat, "but, you do have some gentle curves." "Your pools of emerald, or as you call them (boogerish green eyes) are simply hypnotizing. You are quite petite, but I find it amusing how your tiny little fists pack such a powerful punch." "Lastly, you're forehead shouldn't be seen as a flaw, it balances out your facial features." The copy ninja then finished with his famous eye crease.

Sakura's face was pinker than her hair. In fact, her whole face down to her neck was cherry red. She never thought that her ex-sensei the man she had longed for and admired just said this to her. She couldn't bring herself to respond to him. So in response she gave a timid smile.

_She looks so cute like this. I should turn away she might get the wrong impression if I sit here and stare at her for this long._

Sakura took a moment to gape at her ex-sensei. He seemed to be staring of into the distance deep in his thoughts. She sighed, she wondered when she would ever get to see his face.

"What? Are you going to protest?" Kakashi turned and their eyes met.

"Oh, no. Thank you." She whispered.

Kakashi studied her face. _Looks like she is unsure of whether she should say what she is about to say. (Suspicious)._

"Sensei . . ."

"Kakashi . . ." He corrected.

_Is it really that hard to remember to call me by my name, now that we're equals?_

"Sensei . . ." She repeated smirking. Kakashi frowned underneath his mask.

"Hn?"

"Since, you gave you're opinion on my appearance, I want give mine on yours."

_What is she hinting at? Wait I know . . . ._

"In order to do that I have to see your full appearance." She shyly suggested.

_Maybe I can steer her away from the subject. _

"Oh naughty little Sakura why would you want to see your old sensei in that way?" Kakashi teased.

She backed quickly away from where he sat.

"What!? No!" She yelled with a flushed face. "I . . . oh for goodness sake, I want to see your face!"

Kakashi glanced at Sakura for a moment before answering.

"No."

"Oh come on Kakashi Sensei, please I-"

His fists clenched tightly as he abruptly stood up from his spot on the ground.

"It's KA-KA-SH-I, no sensei included." He replied coldly. "I don't show my face for a reason. Got it?!"

Sakura flinched.

_Man I can be really harsh. Why do the words sound right in my head but come out wrong in reality?_

"I'm sorry Sensei, um, I mean Kakashi. I thought that you hid your face just to be, you know, mysterious." She apologized clearly hurt by his hostile words.

Kakashi sighed. "I'm sorry, it just brings back bad memories, which I really don't want to talk about."

"It's alright, I can be snappy sometimes too."

_She's sure right about that, not so much the sometimes part._

"Definitely."

Sakura stuck out her tongue while squinting her big green eyes.

_So cute._

She then smiled.

_Man it's getting pretty late I should start heading home._

"Hey Sakura, it's late we should get home, don't you think?"

She frowned.

Kakashi lifted up a silver brow in confusion. "What?"

"You lied to me."

_So she did know . . ._

"Look Sakura I –"

"Kakashi please I won't bother you about this anymore. I promise. Just tell me the real reason why you're acting like this."

"Sakura I'm going home," and with that he began to walk off. He had been at the training grounds all day, he wanted to go home.

The petite jounin jumped onto Kakashi's back startling him. He stumbled forward sending both of them crashing into the grass.

"Please, don't. Not yet!" She desperately pleaded.

_The hell?_

"Sakura just get off of me." He replied coolly.

She remained on top of him holding him to the ground.

_Why does she have to be so difficult? If this continues I'm probably going to tell her._

"Get off."

"Just please-"

Before she could finish her sentence Kakashi swiftly rolled over forcing her beneath him then hoisted her up over his shoulder.

Sakura began to violently trash in his strong grip. "Put me down!" She bellowed.

The Copy ninja continued to walk with Sakura frantically trying to break free over his shoulder.

"Put me down!"

"As you wish. . . "

_Teasing her never gets old._

Kakashi grabbed Sakura's foot and flipped her over leaving her dangling helplessly. He held her body up as if it was a rag doll and watched her squirm.

"Ahh! Put me down!"

"I did."

"You know what I mean!"

"No, I actually don't."

He held her foot higher in the air.

_Good thing she was wearing shorts instead of a skirt . . . _

Sakura's hair dangled and the blood began to rush to her head.

"Kakashi Hatake if you don't put me down I swear I'll castrate you!" She seethed.

_My balls. . . ._

Kakashi quickly released his ex-student.

Sakura ungracefully fell to the ground nearly falling head first. She slowly got up with a murderous look on her face.

Kakashi shielded his manly parts.

_Still look like she wants to de-ball me._

Sakura sighed and her face softened.

_*Phew*_

"Please just tell me."

"No."

"Please?!"

"Why, can't you just take no for an answer?"

"Because, you brought up that woman, Rin, while you were explaining and I was curious to know -"

_Maybe she really doesn't know. _

Kakashi thought about it, and it all made sense.

"Don't lie to yourself!" Kakashi interrupted. "You know that you're really looking for me to answer a question that you've had ever since Sasuke left!"

Sakura gasped. Was she really that transparent?

_I'll have to just say it._

"I am."

Her eyes widened.

"I am." He repeated. He then walked off leaving Sakura speechless. He loved her.


End file.
